Systems and methods for support material removal

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing an additively manufactured component may comprise operating an additive manufacturing machine to form a first structure including an elongate portion having a blind design surface, operating the additive manufacturing machine to form a removal tool proximate the blind design surface, wherein the blind design surface and the removal tool are at least partially enclosed by and in contact with a support material, and translating the removal tool along the blind design surface to separate a portion of the support material from the blind design surface.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to additive manufacturing and, morespecifically, to systems and methods for removal of additive manufacturesupport structures and materials.

BACKGROUND

Components and structured fabricated by additive manufacturing methodsmay tend to include supporting structures or materials which may benefitadditive manufacturing operations. Supporting structures may be removedduring finishing operations subsequent to additive manufacturingoperations. Removal of support structures and materials may be arelatively time consuming and/or difficult process for certainstructural geometries.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, a method of manufacturing an additivelymanufactured component comprises operating an additive manufacturingmachine to form a first structure including an elongate portion having ablind design surface, operating the additive manufacturing machine toform a removal tool proximate the blind design surface, wherein theblind design surface and the removal tool are at least partiallyenclosed by and in contact with a support material, and translating theremoval tool along the blind design surface to separate a portion of thesupport material from the blind design surface.

In various embodiments, the support material comprises a partially curedresin. In various embodiments, the removal tool comprises a contactsurface proximate the blind design surface and defined thereby. Invarious embodiments, the removal tool comprises a paring surface whichintersects the contact surface at a leading edge to define a paringangle. In various embodiments, the paring angle is between 5° and 30°.In various embodiments, the removal tool includes tabs configured toenable manual manipulation of the removal tool. In various embodiments,the first structure includes a port configured to enable the removaltool to interface with a driving tool. In various embodiments, theremoval tool is at least partially enclosed by the first structure. Invarious embodiments, the method includes removing the removal tool fromthe first structure. In various embodiments, the removal tool includes aweakened portion configured to facilitate separation of the removal toolfrom the blind design surface.

In various embodiments a system for generating a support materialremoval tool comprises a processor and a tangible, non-transitory memoryconfigured to communicate with the processor, the tangible,non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, inresponse to execution by the processor, cause the processor to performoperations comprising receiving an initial design file defining a firststructure, identifying at least one blind design surface of the firststructure, generating a second structure corresponding the blind designsurface, wherein the second structure includes a contact surfaceproximate the blind design surface and paring surface intersecting thecontact surface at a leading edge of the second structure, and modifyingthe initial design file to generate a production design file includingthe second structure

In various embodiments, the system may determine an offset distancebetween the blind design surface of the first structure and the contactsurface of the second structure. In various embodiments, the system maydetermine a paring angle between the contact surface and the paringsurface based on a material property of a support material. In variousembodiments, the system may instruct an additive manufacturing machineto fabricate an additively manufactured component, based on theproduction design file, comprising the first structure and the secondstructure including a support material at least partially surroundingthe second structure. In various embodiments, the first structure andthe second structure comprise a cured resin and the support materialcomprises a partially cured resin. In various embodiments, the secondstructure includes a weakened portion configured to facilitateseparation of the second structure from the first structure.

In various embodiments an article of manufacture is provided. Thearticle of manufacture includes a non-transitory, tangible computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, inresponse to execution by a computer based system, cause the computerbased system to perform operations comprising receiving an initialdesign file defining a first structure, identifying at least one blinddesign surface of the first structure, generating a second structurecorresponding the blind design surface, wherein the second structureincludes a contact surface proximate the blind design surface and paringsurface intersecting the contact surface at a leading edge of the secondstructure, and modifying the initial design file to generate aproduction design file including the second structure.

The foregoing features and elements may be combined in variouscombinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise.These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will becomemore apparent in light of the following description and the accompanyingdrawings. It should be understood, however, the following descriptionand drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. Amore complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may bestbe obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims whenconsidered in connection with the figures, wherein like numerals denotelike elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for generating a support material removaltool, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2A illustrates an additively manufactured component, in accordancewith various embodiments;

FIG. 2B illustrates an additively manufactured component, in accordancewith various embodiments;

FIG. 3A illustrates an additively manufactured component, in accordancewith various embodiments;

FIG. 3B illustrates an additively manufactured component, in accordancewith various embodiments;

FIG. 4A illustrates a removal tool, in accordance with variousembodiments;

FIG. 4B illustrates a removal tool, in accordance with variousembodiments; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow in a system for generating a supportmaterial removal tool, in accordance with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

All ranges and ratio limits disclosed herein may be combined. It is tobe understood that unless specifically stated otherwise, references to“a,” “an,” and/or “the” may include one or more than one and thatreference to an item in the singular may also include the item in theplural.

The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein makes referenceto the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments by way ofillustration. While these exemplary embodiments are described insufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice theexemplary embodiments of the disclosure, it should be understood thatother embodiments may be realized and that logical changes andadaptations in design and construction may be made in accordance withthis disclosure and the teachings herein. Thus, the detailed descriptionherein is presented for purposes of illustration only and notlimitation.

The scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims and theirlegal equivalents rather than by merely the examples described. Forexample, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptionsmay be executed in any order and are not necessarily limited to theorder presented. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes pluralembodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step mayinclude a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached,fixed, coupled, connected or the like may include permanent, removable,temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option.Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) mayalso include reduced contact or minimal contact. Surface shading linesmay be used throughout the figures to denote different parts but notnecessarily to denote the same or different materials.

Digital three-dimensional object manufacturing, also known as digitaladditive manufacturing, is a process of making a three-dimensional solidobject of virtually any shape from a digital model. Three-dimensionalobject printing (3D printing) is an additive process in which one ormore ejector heads eject successive layers of material on a substrate indifferent shapes. The substrate is supported either on a platform thatcan be moved three dimensionally by operation of actuators operativelyconnected to the platform, or the ejector heads are operativelyconnected to one or more actuators for controlled movement of theejector heads to produce the layers that form the object. 3D printing isdistinguishable from traditional object-forming techniques, which mostlyrely on the removal of material from a work piece by a subtractiveprocess, such as cutting or drilling.

Manufacturing of three-dimensional printed parts at high speed is asignificant challenge because many of the processes involved are timeconsuming and often done manually. In many three-dimensional objectprinters, support material is used to enable layers of material to beformed where no surface or previously formed portions of a part exist.Particularly, such printers form support portions using a supportmaterial, such as wax, partially cured resins, and/or the like, and formportions of an object on top or adjacent to the support portions or maypartially enclose the support portions. After the object is formed, thesupport material is removed from the object. The support material istypically removed by soaking the object in water, jetting water onto theobject, soaking the object in other chemicals, heating the object, orother such process which may be manual. Such removal processes may tendto be time consuming and have limitations exacerbated by larger printedobjects and/or those having complex geometries. For example, asubstantial amount of support material may be enclosed or obscured bythe finished part structure or geometry tending thereby to inhibitefficient removal of the support structure from the finished part.

With reference to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a system 100 for generatinga support material removal tool is illustrated according to variousembodiments. System 100 may comprise a controller 102, an user device104, an Additive Manufacturing (AM) tool 106, and a database 108. System100 may further comprise a tool operations engine 110 and a supportstructure module 112.

In various embodiments, controller 102 may be configured as a centralnetwork element or hub to access various systems, engines, andcomponents of system 100. Controller 102 may comprise a network,computer-based system, and/or software components configured to providean access point to various systems, engines, and components of system100. Controller 102 may be in operative and/or electronic communicationwith user device 104, AM tool 106, database 108, tool operations engine110 and/or support structure module 112. Controller 102 may comprise anysuitable combination of hardware, software, and/or database components.For example, controller 102 may comprise one or more networkenvironments, servers, computer-based systems, processors, databases,and/or the like. Controller 110 may comprise at least one computingdevice in the form of a computer or processor, or a set ofcomputers/processors, although other types of computing units or systemsmay be used, such as, for example, a server, web server, pooled servers,or the like. Controller 102 may also include one or more data centers,cloud storages, or the like, and may include software, such as APIs,SDKs, etc. configured to retrieve and write data to the user device 104,AM tool 106, database 108, tool operations engine 110 and/or supportstructure module 112. In various embodiments, controller 102 may includeone or more processors and/or one or more tangible, non-transitorymemories and be capable of implementing logic. The processor may beconfigured to implement various logical operations in response toexecution of instructions, for example, instructions stored on anon-transitory, tangible, computer-readable medium, as discussed furtherherein.

In various embodiments, user device 104 may enable a user to interactwith system 100 to upload model files, edit model files, control the AMtool 106, generate and/or print structures and the like. User device 104may comprise any suitable combination of hardware, software, and/ordatabase components. For example, user device 104 may comprise at leastone computing device in the form of a computer or processor, or a set ofcomputers/processors, although other types of computing units or systemsmay be used. The processor may be configured to implement variouslogical operations in response to execution of instructions, forexample, instructions stored on a non-transitory, tangible,computer-readable medium, as discussed further herein. For example, userdevice 104 may comprise a computer or processor, or a set of computers,processor, and/or application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),although other types of computing units or system may also be used.Exemplary computing devices may include servers, pooled servers,laptops, notebooks, hand held computers, personal digital assistants,cellular phones, smart phones (e.g., IPHONE®, BLACKBERRY®, ANDROID®,etc.), tablets, wearables (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses, etc.),Internet of things (IoT) devices, or any other device capable ofreceiving data over a network. User device 104 may comprise an operatingsystem, such as, for example, a WINDOWS® mobile operating system, anANDROID′ operating system, APPLE® IOS®, a BLACKBERRY® operating system,and the like.

In various embodiments, AM tool system 106 may comprise hardware and/orsoftware configured to perform additive manufacturing operations togenerate an datively manufactured component, a structure, a workpiece,and/or the like in response to instructions from a controller. AM toolsystem 106 may be configured to communicate with controller 102 andreceive tool instructions 114 from controller 102. In variousembodiments, AM tool system 106 may comprise a photopolymerizationmachine, a powder bed fusion machine, a 3D printing machine, a materialjetting machine, a binder jetting machine, a material extrusion machine,a sheet lamination machine, a directed energy deposition machine, and/orthe like.

In various embodiments, database 108 may comprise any number of dataelements or data structures such as, for example, model data 116.Database 108 may be configured to store data using any suitabletechnique described herein or known in the art. Database 108 may beconfigured to store digital models and data related to digital models ofa structure or work piece as model data 116. The model data 116 mayinclude design files (e.g., initial design files, final design files,production design files, etc.) defining one or more structures.

In various embodiments, the tool operations engine 110 may be configuredto generate the tool instructions 114 from controller 102 based on themodel data 116. In various embodiments, a tool instruction may comprisedata such as instructions for AM tool paths, G-codes, M-codes, layeredadditive programs, and/or the like.

In various embodiments and with reference now to FIGS. 2A and 2B anadditively manufactured component 200 is shown in the finished conditionwith XYZ-axes provided for orientation. Component 200 includes a firststructure 202 comprising relatively cylindrical housing 204 extending(along the Z-axis) between a first end face 206 and a second end face208. Housing 204 partially encloses an elongate portion 210 therebydefining a cavity 218 within the housing 204 having a first opening 212and a second opening 214. With particular reference to FIG. 2B, housing204 is rendered partially transparent to illustrate a blind designsurface 216 of the elongate portion 210 which may be otherwise obscuredby the housing 204. In various embodiments, the cavity 218 may bedefined between the housing 201 and the blind design surface 216. Inthis regard, access to the blind design surface 216 may be relativelyrestricted by the geometry of the openings (212, 214) and the housing204.

In various embodiments, and with additional reference to FIGS. 3A and 3Badditively manufactured component 200 is shown in the as-printedcondition with XYZ-axes provided for orientation. Housing 204 isrendered as relatively transparent to illustrate support material 300which fills the cavity 218. The support material 300 may be added duringthe additive manufacturing operations to support the structure 202during fabrication. The support material 300 may contact and enclose theblind design surface 216 tending thereby to inhibit removal of thesupport material 300. In various embodiments, the additivelymanufactured component 200 includes a removal tool 400 (i.e., a secondstructure) which may be fabricated in conjunction with the firststructure 202.

The removal tool 400 may be partially enclosed by and in contact withthe support material 300. The removal tool 400 may be coupled to theelongate portion 210 proximate the blind design surface 216 andconfigured to translate along the elongate portion 210. As shown in FIG.3B, the removal tool 400 is translated along the blind design surface216 between the first end face 206 and the second end face 208. Inresponse to the translation of the removal tool 400, a portion 302 ofthe support material 300 is separated from the blind design surface 216opening a gap 304 therebetween. In this regard, the removal tool 400 maytend to facilitate removal of the support material 300. In variousembodiments the first structure 202 may comprise one or more ports 306configured to enable the removal tool 400 to interface with a drivingtool 308 such as, for example, a pin or punch inserted through the port306 to contact the removal tool 400. In this regard, a motive force maybe applied to the removal tool 400 via the driving tool tending therebyto translate the removal tool 400 along the elongate portion 210 and theblind design surface 216.

With additional reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B removal tool 400 isillustrated in accordance with various embodiments. Removal tool 400comprises a body 402 including a contact surface 404 and a paringsurface 406. The contact surface 404 is defined by the geometry of theblind design surface 216 of the elongate portion 210. The paring surface406 intersects the contact surface 404 at a leading edge 408 to define aparing angle. In various embodiments the paring angle may be between 5°and 30°. Body 402 may be further defined by a drive surface 410 oppositethe leading edge 408 and configured to interface with the driving tool308. The drive surface 410 may extend between the contact surface 404and a separation surface 412. In like regard, the paring surface 406 mayextend between the contact surface 404 and the separation surface 412.The body 402 may extend between a first face 414 and a second face 416.In various embodiments as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the removal tool 400may include one or more tabs 418 configured to enable manualmanipulation of the removal tool 400. Tabs 418 may be coupled to thefirst face 414 and/or the second face 416 of the body 402. In variousembodiments, the tabs 418 may comprise a paring surface 420. In variousembodiments, the removal tool 400 may comprise a weakened portion 422configured to facilitate separation of the removal tool from the blinddesign surface. For example, weakened portion 422 may me relatively weakin tension or shear bending tending to cause separation of the body 402into halves in response thereby enabling decoupling of the removal toolfrom the elongate portion 210 and blind design surface 216.

In various embodiments a process 500 in a system 100 for generating asupport material removal tool may comprise controller 102 receiving aninitial design file from database 108 (step 502). The design file maycomprise model data 116 defining a first structure such as firststructure 202. The system 100 may identify at least one blind designsurface 216 of the first structure 202 (step 504). Step 504 may includeviewing the model data 116 via the user device 104 selecting the blinddesign surface. In various embodiments, step 504 includes the supportstructure module 112 parsing the model data 116 to identify a blinddesign surface. In various embodiments, the support structure module 112may generate a removal tool in response to identifying the blind designsurface (step 506). For example, system 100 may generate removal toolbody 402 corresponding the blind design surface 216 including contactsurface 404 proximate the blind design surface 216.

In various embodiments, step 506 includes determining an offset distancebetween the blind design surface 216 the contact surface 404. In thisregard, the removal tool body 402 is separated from the elongate portion210 and free to slidably engage therewith. In various embodiments,controller 102 may receive the offset distance from the user device 104or may generate the offset distance via the support structure module112. Step 506 includes selecting a paring angle between the contactsurface 404 and the paring surface 406 based on a material property ofthe support material 300. For example, the paring angle may a functionof support material viscosity and/or density and, in this regard, theparing angle may decrease with respect to an increase in supportmaterial viscosity. In various embodiments, controller 102 may receivethe paring angle from the user device 104 or may generate the paringangle via the support structure module 112.

Process 500 includes controller 102 updating the model data 116 ofdatabase 108 to define the removal tool 400. In this regard, system 100may modify the initial design file to generate a production design fileincluding the first structure and the second structure (step 508). Step508 may include tool operations engine 110 generating tool instructions114 based on the production design file. Step 508 may includeinstructing by controller 102 an additive manufacturing machine of AMtool system 106 to fabricate additively manufactured component 200comprising the first structure 202 and the removal tool 400 includingthe support material 300 at least partially surrounding the removal tool400.

Benefits and other advantages have been described herein with regard tospecific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in thevarious figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplaryfunctional relationships and/or physical couplings between the variouselements. It should be noted that many alternative or additionalfunctional relationships or physical connections may be present in apractical system. However, the benefits, advantages, and any elementsthat may cause any benefit or advantage to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essentialfeatures or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure isaccordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, inwhich reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean“one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one ormore.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C”is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted tomean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may bepresent in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, orthat any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in asingle embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and Band C.

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detaileddescription herein, references to “various embodiments,” “oneembodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicatethat the embodiment described may include a particular feature,structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarilyinclude the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover,such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic isdescribed in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it iswithin the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature,structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodimentswhether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, itwill be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implementthe disclosure in alternative embodiments.

Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the presentdisclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless ofwhether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited inthe claims. No claim element herein is invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unlessthe element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As usedherein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variationthereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that aprocess, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elementsdoes not include only those elements but may include other elements notexpressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, orapparatus.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing an additivelymanufactured component, comprising: operating an additive manufacturingmachine to form a first structure including an elongate portion having ablind design surface; operating the additive manufacturing machine toform a removal tool proximate the blind design surface, wherein theblind design surface and the removal tool are at least partiallyenclosed by and in contact with a support material; and translating theremoval tool along the blind design surface to separate a portion of thesupport material from the blind design surface.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the support material comprises a partially cured resin. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the removal tool comprises a contactsurface proximate the blind design surface and defined thereby.
 4. Themethod of claim 3, wherein the removal tool comprises a paring surfacewhich intersects the contact surface at a leading edge to define aparing angle.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the paring angle isbetween 5° and 30°.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the removal toolincludes tabs configured to enable manual manipulation of the removaltool.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first structure includes aport configured to enable the removal tool to interface with a drivingtool.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the removal tool is at leastpartially enclosed by the first structure.
 9. The method of claim 8,further comprising removing the removal tool from the first structure.10. The method of claim 1, wherein the removal tool includes a weakenedportion configured to facilitate separation of the removal tool from theblind design surface.
 11. A system for generating a support materialremoval tool comprising: a processor; and a tangible, non-transitorymemory configured to communicate with the processor, the tangible,non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, inresponse to execution by the processor, cause the processor to performoperations comprising: receiving an initial design file defining a firststructure; identifying a blind design surface of the first structure;generating a second structure corresponding the blind design surface,wherein the second structure includes a contact surface proximate theblind design surface and paring surface intersecting the contact surfaceat a leading edge of the second structure; and generating a productiondesign file including the first structure and the second structure. 12.The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:determining, by the processor, an offset distance between the blinddesign surface of the first structure and the contact surface of thesecond structure.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the operationsfurther comprise: selecting, by the processor, a paring angle betweenthe contact surface and the paring surface based on a material propertyof a support material.
 14. The system of claim 11, wherein theoperations further comprise: instructing, by the processor, an additivemanufacturing machine to fabricate an additively manufactured component,based on the production design file, comprising the first structure andthe second structure including a support material at least partiallysurrounding the second structure.
 15. The system of claim 14, whereinthe first structure and the second structure comprise a cured resin andthe support material comprises a partially cured resin.
 16. The systemof claim 14, wherein the second structure includes a weakened portionconfigured to facilitate separation of the second structure from thefirst structure.
 17. An article of manufacture including anon-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium havinginstructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computerbased system, cause the computer based system to perform operationscomprising: receiving an initial design file defining a first structure;identifying a blind design surface of the first structure; generating asecond structure corresponding the blind design surface, wherein thesecond structure includes a contact surface proximate the blind designsurface and paring surface intersecting the contact surface at a leadingedge of the second structure; and generating a production design fileincluding the first structure and the second structure.
 18. The articleof manufacture of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:determining, by the processor, an offset distance between the blinddesign surface of the first structure and the contact surface of thesecond structure.
 19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, whereinthe operations further comprise: selecting, by the processor, a paringangle between the contact surface and the paring surface based on amaterial property of a support material.
 20. The article of manufactureof claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise: instructing, bythe processor, an additive manufacturing machine to fabricate anadditively manufactured component, based on the production design file,comprising the first structure and the second structure including asupport material at least partially surrounding the second structure.